Comparison Contrast
by sailorhathor
Summary: What Red Sky at Morning could have been if Dean had been born a girl. Girl!Dean/Bela.


**Comparison Contrast**  
A _Supernatural_ Fic  
by Laurel (Sailorhathor)

**Pairing:** Girl!Dean/Bela  
**Universe:** Ashes of Dreams and Bloodstained Streets, Vol. III. The Comparison Contrast 'Verse.  
**Rating:** Adult17+ (sex [femmeslash], girl fighting, language)  
**Word Count:** 6,838  
**Beta:** **moonlitxmelody**. Thank you Shammie!  
**Summary:** What "Red Sky at Morning" might've been if Dean was a girl. Spoilers for that ep and season 3 in general.  
**Author's Notes:** I actually think Deanne/Deanna is the perfect name for girl!Dean, but I didn't want to name all my girl!Deans the same, so I used a different one for this story.  
It's funny, I can't stand the idea of Dean/Bela, but make Dean a girl and I'm all for it. XD  
On a trip to Las Vegas, I actually met a girl on the bus with the tattoo from this story.  
The title comes from, um, a Schoolhouse Rock song. XD I made a prompt table for one of my communities from SHR songs, and the prompt not only fit the story, but it made a good title too!  
Erica Durance is my personal model for Girl!Dean. If you'd rather imagine her looking some other way, feel free; I can't police yer brain! ;D  
Written for **spn_fs_exchange**.

Sam ducked just in time to avoid being hit by the high-heeled shoe his sister had thrown at the wall a bare second before he came in the door. "Hey, watch it, Del!"

Delaney Winchester took off the other shoe and pegged it at the floor. It bounced once and then landed on its side. "Fucking bitch! I'm gonna... oooh, I'm gonna rip 'er heart out! Got all dressed up in this stupid dress and she did it all for... GRRRAAARGH!" Delaney curled her hands into fists, eyes bulging, as she let out the frustrated cry. "I _hate_ pantyhose!"

Sam, still dressed in the tuxedo he'd worn to the party, surmised that his sister couldn't have beat him back to the house by long; Delaney was still wearing the red evening gown she'd put on to make it seem like she belonged at the formal event. As Sam closed the door, she sat down on the nearest couch to free herself of the nylon confines. "Did Bela do something?"

"What bitch do you think I'm talking about?" They'd gotten separated at the party, Sam distracting Gertrude while Delaney worked with Bela to get the Hand of Glory. "I had it, Sammy - the mariner's hand. I hid it in my bra. When I got here, it was gone."

"How did Bela get it out of your bra?"

"She sure as shit wasn't looking to cop a feel. We were trying to get past the security guards, so she pretended to faint. I figure Bela swiped it at some point when we were alone." Delaney finally pulled her second foot free and tossed the pantyhose into a pile several feet away.

"Well, your dress _is_ low cut..."

"Yeah, easy access for that skank." She spit the last word out like she spoke of a disgusting, slimy toad. "As soon as I change, I'm going after the greedy whore. She's giving me the hand or I'm taking her tits back with me as a down payment." Standing up, Delaney turned her back to Sam. "Unzip me."

Sam pulled down the zipper, asking, "Should I come with you?" He followed her into the bedroom.

"No, you stay here, research the hand. You can't do the same things to the bitch-whore that I can." Delaney smirked at her brother over her shoulder. "A little perk of being a woman - you can beat the crap out of other women and no one bats an eye."

When she slipped out of the slinky knee-length dress, throwing it carelessly across the bed, Sam turned his head to the side. He'd seen his sister in nothing but underwear hundreds of times, but that didn't mean he deliberately gawked. He could only see the right half of her reflection in the full-length mirror on the closet door as she pulled a T-shirt on over her head, covering what could be seen of the stylized tattoo on her shapely lower back; it said 'Luscious.' Delaney nearly shook with anger and anticipation now. Sam hoped to himself that his sister wouldn't hurt Bela's pretty face too bad. Inside, though, he knew Delaney's anger would not be denied. "That's your plan?"

"Yeah. Beat her to a pulp until she gives me the hand, then hit 'er a few more times just for the fun of it." Lying across the bed, Delaney pulled on her jeans both legs at once, lifting them up off the floor, and then rocked herself into a sitting position. "Throw me my shoes."

He did. "Don't... just don't beat her so bad that she can't even give you the hand, okay? You don't want to attract the attention of the police."

"You think I don't know something about avoiding police by now, Sammy?"

They didn't say anything else while she put on her shoes. Sam removed his tie and made a show of booting up his laptop so he could do the research they'd discussed. In reality, he would be waiting impatiently for his sister to return, to tell him what happened. When he saw Delaney putting her dishwater blonde hair back in a ponytail, Sam knew she really intended to smack Bela around. The ponytail was Delaney Signal #1 for _Let's kick some ass!_

Why did he even care? Months ago, Bela Talbot had shot him. It was crazy for a guy to find a woman attractive who had _shot_ him.

"I'm heading out, Sammy. Next time I see you, I'll have the Hand of Glory." Grabbing her keys, Delaney headed for the door.

He suddenly scrunched up his face and asked, "Did you really have that dead man's hand in your _bra?_"

She just grinned. "Yup. Gave the ancient geezer a little thrill." With a wiggle of her eyebrows, Delaney was out the door.

Bela could not take her eyes off it. She just stared, struck dumb, at the clipper ship gliding across the harbor. That wasn't a normal ship, oh no. Bela was seeing the same ghost ship the others had seen shortly before they died. No, before they were _killed_ by the ghost, before they drowned from the inside out.

Why was this happening to her? Why had the ghost chosen her, or any of the others? The bag of money Bela had procured from her sale of the Hand of Glory fell from her fingers onto the seat of the expensive car. She'd sold it. She'd sold the only thing that could have saved her. Oh, _God_.

Bela's thoughts were abruptly cut off when someone grabbed her hair from behind and yanked her head back; it hurt quite a bit. Her stomach rolled in dread when she saw it was the Winchester wench. "Hi honey," she growled, and slammed Bela's forehead into the top of the open door. Bela grunted in surprise and pain. Delaney pulled her head back again. "Where's the hand, Bela?"

A thin stream of blood ran from a cut on her forehead. Bela slowly reached for the gun tucked into an inner jacket pocket. "I don't have it anymore. I sold it."

Before she could get her hand on the gun, Delaney whacked Bela's head off the top of the car, and then reached into the pocket Bela had been going for while she was still reeling from the blow. "I'll just take that," she said as she removed the gun.

Panting now, Bela tried again. "I swear, I'm telling the truth. Just look in my car. Whole bag of money. You can have it if you'll just let me go."

"I don't want money, you greedy piece of shit." Delaney spied a big puddle of mud just off the edge of the parking lot. "I want that hand. More people will die if we don't burn it. And you're going to give it to me. Where is it?"

Bela, beginning to get angry and in pain, said something she shouldn't have. "I told you, you thick-headed roustabout - "

Delaney said nothing, just pulled up on Bela's hair and smushed her against the car. She took the time to wrench Bela's arm behind her back before manhandling and dragging her over to the edge of the parking lot. "Have it your way," Delaney said, and shoved Bela into the mud puddle.

Bela fell face first into the cold, dirty water, screaming all the way down. Delaney enjoyed watching her flail in the muck for a moment before sitting on her back and taking hold of her hair again. Bela screamed and struggled.

"My mouth... is full... of DIRT!" Bela cried. She tried to wriggle out from under the other woman, but Delaney kept a good hold on her.

"Now... this can be easy or it can be totally gross," she announced.

"Too late!" Bela wailed.

Grinning mischievously, Delaney said, "Oh, we haven't even begun, sweetheart."

"I sold the hand! I'm telling you the truth!"

"Okay, if that's the way you want it." Delaney shoved Bela's head into the mud. She kept her down, Bela kicking and splashing her fists in the water, for only a few seconds. When Delaney pulled her face up, dirty water ran off Bela's chin, and she coughed and sputtered. "Where's the hand?"

"I SOOOOOLD IIIIIT!"

Without a word, Delaney pushed Bela's face into the puddle again, this time much harder so she was nose-deep in mud, and rolled her head back and forth to really work in the filth. When she yanked Bela up this time, the woman sobbed, on the verge of tears. Her face was covered with mud; wet clots of it were in her silky hair. "This is your last chance..."

"I swear, I'm being truthful. I already had a buyer lined up before we even went to the party!"

"Hm. That sounds about like your style." Delaney shrugged. "I guess you're telling the truth." Snickering, she pushed Bela down into the mud one more time. "Lick it up, you stupid skank-whore!"

Delaney was adding, "How's it taste?" when Bela used all her strength to push back on Delaney's hand and get her head up out of the water. With a shrill, ever-growing scream, she thrashed like an alligator until Delaney toppled off her back and into the puddle.

Bela got one good shove in. She managed to push the side of Delaney's head into the mud and yell, "There! How do you like it?" before Delaney punched her across the cheek.

Bela didn't know if it would help, but she decided to play on Delaney's sympathies by crying; the punch had gotten her eyes watering anyway.

When Delaney heard the sobs, she rolled her eyes. "Don't _cry_. I didn't hit you _that_ hard."

"I saw the ship," Bela admitted.

Taken aback, Delaney said, "What? The clipper? The ghost ship?"

"What ship do you think I mean?"

After the gravity of the situation sunk in, Delaney burst out in snickering laughter. "And you sold the hand. You sold the only thing that can save you. You stupid bitch."

"I didn't know!" Bela cried, sounding annoyed.

"Well, I think they'd call that poetic justice." Delaney stood up, shaking out her hands and flinging mud like a wet dog. "Now if you'll excuse me, my brother and I have to figure out a way to stop the mariner before he kills anyone else. Anyone, I mean, whose life is worth saving. Present company excluded."

"Wait!" Getting to her feet, Bela sloughed mud off her forehead before it could run into her eyes. "You can't just go! You have to help me."

"Why should we?"

"I can pay you."

Delaney scoffed. "We can't be bought." She started to walk away.

Bela grabbed her arm. "Please! You help people. You're a hero. You can't just let me die."

At first, Delaney glared at the hand on her arm until Bela released her. "Yesterday you said we were no better than you." She let out a sigh. "I should just let you die. But I don't think my brother could live with that. Alright, come with me. We'll see what we can figure out."

When she realized they were taking Delaney's car, Bela balked, making a face. "We're going in your car?"

"Yes...?"

Bela clicked her tongue in disapproval. "It's a monstrosity."

"Shut up or I'll tie you to the bumper and make you run behind the car." Delaney spread a blanket over the front seat. "Your precious, muddy little ass won't touch a thing." She gave several grand flourishes with her arms toward the empty passenger seat, and curtsied. "Your chariot, your Highness."

There were many sights Sam could have expected to greet his eyes when his sister returned from her confrontation with Bela Talbot, but the two of them covered in mud had not been one of them. "What happened?"

"Mud wrestling at the local strip joint. I won," Delaney quipped.

"Death would almost be preferable to this," mumbled Bela.

"But - uh... what happened to the hand?"

While Bela avoided looking Sam in the eye, Delaney gladly informed him of what she'd done. "Our bright friend Bela here sold it. She already had a buyer lined up."

Sam's shoulders deflated. "Oh, great. How could you, Bela?"

"I didn't know _I_ was going to see the ship," she replied with a roll of her eyes.

"What difference does that - " Sam stopped, eyes widening in surprise. "You saw the ship?"

Head down, frustrated, Bela just nodded.

"I told her her sorry ass didn't deserve it, but that we'd find a way to save her," Delaney began, "because that's what you'd want to do." Secretly to herself, Delaney hoped Sam would get a little mean on this one.

He gave her some hope when he said, "We probably _shouldn't_. We should just let you learn your lesson, Bela." Sam stared her down for a moment. "But that's not the kind of people we are. What's the name of this person you sold the hand to? Maybe I can track him down."

Bela told him the man's name. "He said he was getting on a plane bound for Hong Kong. I would hurry."

Sam took the car keys from his sister and headed for the door. "You better salt behind me after I leave."

With a nod, Delaney saw him out the door, then spread a line of salt along the threshold. "If the mariner comes early, I doubt he can get past that. You're safe in here."

Bela gave the dusty old place a look. "I'm not so sure about that." She held out her arms, looking down at herself. "Is it possible you've got the water working in this hovel?"

"It's not only possible..." With a wiggle of her eyebrows, Delaney crooked a finger at Bela to tell her to follow, and led her to a bathroom off the master bedroom on the main floor. "My brother and I know a few tricks. We'll be long gone before the utility company even knows the water's on."

Bela stared, dumbfounded, at the large bathroom. The house was rundown, dirty, and parts of this very room were filthy and rusted out, but the Winchesters had managed to clean and salvage the necessary items to make their stay there comfortable - including a walk-in shower with three golden showerheads, one in the middle and one on each side. The gold fixtures and honey-colored tiles gleamed even next to the grout, which had turned gray with age. "How long did it take you to clean this?"

"Two hours, at least. But it was so worth it." Giving a sinuous stretch, Delaney opened the shower door and turned on the water. All three showerheads came on. She fiddled with the knobs, holding her fingers under the middle spray of water to test the temperature, and gave a satisfied little sound when the water seemed just right. "I _love_ this thing. Wish we could take it with us when we go."

Shifting in discomfort, Bela asked, "Who gets the first shower?"

Delaney smirked. "Hate to tell you this, babe, but there's never enough hot water for more than one shower a day."

"Oh, I'm sorry for you, then." Bela tried to squeeze past her.

Holding out an arm to block Bela's path, Delaney shook her head. "Oh no you don't. There's plenty of room in there for both of us."

"You can't be serious..."

"Don't sweat it; we've got all the same parts and I've seen 'em before."

"I wouldn't think you'd even know what to do with female parts."

Delaney was starting to enjoy this. Making Bela squirm was fun. Besides, this glorious shower always got her feeling so good that virtually nothing could spoil her mood. In fact, the spray of the three showerheads enveloping her body in luxurious heat often made her hornier than a sailor on leave. "I wouldn't bet on that."

A sudden thought coming into her head, Bela made a horrified face. "Does that mean you and your _brother_ shower together?"

"No, we usually switch off who gets the hot shower from day to day. I get so relaxed in here, the noises I make skeeve him out."

"Oh, lord..." Bela started to leave, opting for the cold shower, but realized again how dirty she was. "I can't stand this any longer. I'll just have to put up with you."

"Why _thanks_. You're too kind." Before entering the shower, Delaney pulled the band from her hair and shook it out. She then stepped in, clothes and all.

Bela just stared at her. "Don't you have a washing machine?"

"Nope."

Sighing, she followed Delaney in and shut the door behind them. "My shirt will be completely ruined."

"So buy another one. Use all that money you made off the sale of the hand." Delaney's voice, smug and mischievous, echoed off the sides of the shower.

Rolling her eyes and scoffing, Bela stood under the spray of one of the side heads. The mud began to sluice off layer by partially-dried layer. When she turned around to begin rinsing her hair, she watched as Delaney kicked off her wet shoes and then stood under the middle head, also rinsing her hair. She stretched, the water running in rivulets around her neck and down her chest, forging trails between and around her breasts, which stood out clearly in the soaked T-shirt. As Bela watched, a stream of water ran over one rigid nipple. Delaney smiled in ecstasy.

"Mmm," she hummed.

Bela found she had to look away, examining the dirty brown water as it circled down the drain. Over time, the only people who had been really good, _really_ good, at getting Bela off were types like this. Rough and tumble, uncultured types. They had much more time to get good at sex, and much more opportunity. For many of them, it seemed to be all they thought about. And Bela had not gotten off in a _long_ time.

But Delaney wouldn't want her. After the way they'd spoken to each other, she doubted the woman would ever touch her voluntarily, certainly not like -

"Mmmm," Delaney said again, shaking her head slowly under the hot spray of water.

Bela licked her lips.

Still smiling in satisfaction, Delaney started to undo her jeans. "Isn't this shower just killer? I mean, one massaging showerhead could be enough, but _three_... is heaven." The last word came out as more of a moan than a word.

"They're... massaging showerheads?" Bela felt the heat inside her rising. "No wonder."

Delaney just looked at her for a moment before grinning impishly and removing her jeans, practically peeling them off. She draped them over the top of the shower wall to hang there for the time being. Then she pulled her wet shirt off over her head. "Probably have to go over these later with the soap, but that's good enough for now." The shirt was added to the makeshift clothesline, also draped over the top of the shower.

Bela couldn't help but look. The job had worked Delaney's body into a firm, shapely state, and Bela wasn't above fooling around with women; whatever scratched her itch. In fact, often she preferred women. Men brought too many unpleasant memories to the surface with their heavy bodies, smothering her. Bela watched the curve of Delaney's back as the water poured down it. Her light blue panties and white bra were too simple, too plain. "Did you buy those while on a trip to Wal-Mart?" Bela asked, with a sarcastic, mocking tone.

"Huh?" Delaney looked at herself. Her nipples and a thatch of light brown pubic hair showed clearly through her damp underthings. Bela swallowed hard. "Uh, maybe. These come in packs of five." She snapped the band of her panties.

"Uck." Bela began to remove her clothing and make her own clothesline on the opposite side of the shower. "Now, these are women's underthings. Have you ever seen real lingerie?"

Delaney stopped to look, the soap in her hand. Bela had on a lacy black bra, high-cut French panties, and a garter belt with black stockings. Delaney looked so long, the soap went dry and stuck to her hand. "_Damn_... those are sexy. I guess you have more opportunity to wear stuff like that than I do." Looking at Bela's _lingerie_ made her even more horny. "I guess the mud ruined those stockings. I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I have more," Bela sighed. She kicked off her high heels. "Those I'm mad about, though. They cost $200."

Delaney gawked. "Two-hundred dollars? Why would anyone spend $200 on a pair of shoes?"

"Style, dearheart."

"Pfft."

Bela watched her soap up her arms. "You really should learn a thing or two about proper underthings. Nothing makes you feel more like a woman than sexy lingerie."

"When in my line of work do I ever get to feel like a woman?"

"That's just the point. It should be something you do just for yourself."

"Yeah, that'll come in handy while I'm ganking a wraith or digging up a grave," Delaney retorted dubiously.

Bela shrugged. "You have a nice body. It's a shame that you clothe it like a boy."

Making a noncommittal, "Hm," noise, she pushed down the back of her panties and removed them, simply tossing them over the side of the shower. They plopped in the middle of the bathroom floor.

When Delaney went for the back of her bra to unsnap it, Bela revealed that she'd noticed the lower back tattoo by saying, "'Luscious'? You have 'Luscious' tattooed on your lower back?"

"My God, you can _read_," quipped Delaney. Was Bela looking at her? And in what way?

"Well..." A forward smile of arousal crossed Bela's face. "...at least it's an apt label."

Delaney saw the dark look in her eyes. Well, well. "Is it?" She removed her bra. Amazing how one simple comment could bring them to this point.

"It is." She went to unsnap the lacy thing restricting her own breasts.

With a gleam in her crystal green eyes, Delaney moved forward and planted her hands on either side of Bela's head with a loud thump. It startled her; Bela jumped in her skin. Delaney went on looking at her with those aroused eyes as she said, "Leave it on for a second," in a husky, commanding voice.

A shiver of pleasure moved all through Bela's body. "Anything you say."

Delaney looked her over. "Those stockings are fucking sexy on you."

"Thank you."

"I could eat you out with those things on."

Bela shiver-shuddered. "I wish you would."

Yes, it was amazing. Chuckling, Delaney continued, "I'm not sorry that I shoved you in the mud because you still have a deplorable personality. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't fuck you." She moved closer, talking in Bela's ear. "It doesn't mean you don't have a killer body and those fucking sexy undies on."

"Lingerie."

"Uh huh." Delaney kissed the side of her neck.

"What discerning taste you have, fucking someone you despise," Bela teased.

"You better shut up before I get insulted." Taking handfuls of Bela's ass, she squeezed, pulling Bela up against her.

"Would that even stop you?"

"Not _now_."

Now Bela chuckled.

Delaney simply rubbed up against her for several moments, the two breathing hard and sighing, arms going around each other. They moved like sinuous snakes. Bela moaned out loud; yes, it had been too long.

Pulling her away from the wall, Delaney turned Bela around and began to soap up her stomach. Bela leaned her head back on Delaney's shoulder, running a hand through her wet hair. When she moved to cup Bela's breasts, she abandoned the soap momentarily; it thumped to the shower floor. Bela moaned as Delaney circled her nipples aggressively with her fingers, making them rise against the fabric of the lacy bra. They moved against each other again, Bela feeling the other woman's hard nipples stroking against her back, and let out a small cry when Delaney pulled down one bra strap and exposed her left breast. Delaney turned her to face her and dipped her head in to suck on the rigid, rose-colored nipple.

A few seconds later, the lacy thing lay discarded on the shower floor.

Still sucking, moving from one breast to the other, Delaney stopped long enough to say, "How the hell do you even _moan_ with that goddamn British accent? It sounds hot."

Bela had to laugh. "Do you like it?"

"Just said I did." She nipped at the rigid flesh in her mouth.

"Oh _Delaney_," Bela moaned.

"Holy shit," said Delaney under her breath, and went in for more.

Her wet hair hung in her face as Delaney trapped Bela against the shower wall, hand plunging into the lacy panties and rubbing without mercy at Bela's clit. The woman cried out, breathy and helpless. Delaney tried to yank the panties off, but the straps of the garter belt were in the way; without asking, there was an aggressive rip of fabric and the destroyed remnants of the lingerie also lay on the shower floor. Bela moaned louder than before at the feeling of Delaney's finger sliding up into her. She worked at her like that for a few minutes, licking her neck and kissing her ears.

The water began to go cold. Delaney didn't bother to turn it off; she was too worked up. Instead, she maneuvered Bela over to the door, opened it, and kissed at her neck halfway across the bathroom. Before she knew it, Bela had both her hands on either side of her head and was kissing her on the mouth with much passion. Delaney moved her hands to Bela's ass again, squeezing and holding her against her. Bela could hardly walk on her own, but that didn't deter them much, as she moved on her tiptoes back into the master bedroom, Delaney guiding their course. The room filled with the sounds of their kissing and heavy breathing. There would be no way to hide what they had done from Sammy, as the comforter and probably the sheets underneath would be soaked, but Delaney just didn't care. The two women fell on the king size bed, a tangle of long legs.

It surprised her how much enthusiasm Bela showed as she went for her breasts, sucking on Delaney's nipples. She thought this would be all about Bela's needs. But as Bela threw out a quick comment, moving from one breast to the other, "You're really beautiful," Delaney knew that the other woman was just as attracted to her. The compliments continued to come. "Your eyes, they're gorgeous," and, "You have no idea how sexy you are." Eventually, Delaney rolled her eyes and turned Bela over, pinning her wrists to the bed.

"Yeah, I know, and I'm luscious, right?" Delaney knew she was no ogre, but such a barrage of compliments made her uncomfortable.

"_God_, yes. You really know what you're doing."

"Girls like me always do." There was a little hurt behind that comment, because Delaney knew that women like Bela wouldn't give her the time of day otherwise. Still, those stockings... she moved down Bela's body.

"Delaney..." Bela had been trying to think of something to say, to soothe the small measure of resentment she heard in her voice, when Delaney took a mouthful of her pussy and began to suck. "Ohhhhhh!"

She brought Bela just to the brink, nipping and sucking and licking, covering every inch of that lush pussy with her teeth and her tongue. Bela's head was buried into the pillow, thrown back, as Delaney undulated her tongue against the quivering clit that had just begun to throb with need; the passionate sounds coming out of Bela now could have earned her the nickname of Luscious as well. But Delaney wasn't going to give her the chance to get off and then deny her the same release. She stopped, quickly moving up Bela's body.

"Wha...?" Bela opened her eyes just as Delaney kissed her hard on the mouth, and their clits came together in a rush of heat. Bela's legs were spread wide to accommodate her while Delaney was only partially spread open, but it was enough for them to rub together, such sweet, overwhelming friction. They both began to buck against each other hard and quick.

Arms holding each other tight, they moaned with every thrust. Bela came closer to orgasm; she would definitely get off first, but Delaney wouldn't be far behind her. Soon, Bela couldn't help but grip the comforter in her fists and arch her back toward the woman on top of her.

"Delaney... Delaney!"

Why did that drive her so crazy, her name being moaned in that accent? "God, Bela!" Their thrusts became faster, more desperate.

Delaney had been wrong. She came first.

Her mouth open wide in a passionate cry, Delaney's vision grayed for a moment as she orgasmed. Nursing it, she kept thrusting, and was only dimly aware of Bela cumming too. Their movements slowed, bringing a few breathless sounds from them before they grew quiet, save for heavy panting. Delaney relaxed to one side of the body underneath her. They didn't move to disentangle themselves from each other just yet; Delaney felt Bela's legs wrapped loosely around her hips. She suddenly wondered just how this had happened, after how angry she'd been at the woman only an hour before.

Delaney rolled over onto the bed. They just laid there panting for a minute, neither one speaking.

"You can wear my clothes," Delaney finally said. "At least until you get back to your hotel."

Although she wrinkled her nose, Bela didn't take a swipe at the idea of wearing the clothing of the commoner, not this time. "Alright."

"You better take those stockings off and hang them up."

"I might as well throw them in the rubbish bin." The disdain had come back into Bela's voice.

"Yeah, well, you can always buy more, right?" The cockiness had come back into Delaney's.

"Yes."

They got up, stretching and looking for something to wear.

Delaney shook her head. It amazed her, how quickly they had fallen back into their regular roles.

When Sam returned to the house, he found his sister sitting at the table in the living room, biting on a fingernail and looking at their file on this case so far. She was worried, troubled.

"Did you find the guy?" she asked.

Sam shook his head. "By the time I tracked him down, he was already on his private jet." With a sigh, he tossed his jacket onto the couch. "By the way, thanks for letting me know about the muddy blanket on the front seat of the car." He showed her the mud stains on the back of his jeans.

Despite everything, Delaney had to snicker at that. "Sorry."

"Where's Bela?"

"Napping."

"You look worried. Did you find out anything?"

"Yeah, I think so."

When Delaney was through filling Sam in on the correlations she'd found between each person targeted by the mariner, and they'd compared his notes with hers, he looked troubled as well. "What should we do?"

"Go get her up," Delaney said. "I want to confront her with this."

Sam went into the master bedroom. Bela was asleep on the bed, but the comforter and top sheet were gone, hung up on a makeshift clothesline. She was wearing one of Delaney's button-up shirts and a pair of slacks, part of his sister's "good clothes." He nosily examined the hanging bedcovers. How'd they get so wet?

Before waking up Bela, he went into the bathroom to see if they had enough towels. That's when he saw something that answered his questions. The women had cleaned up as best they could, but they somehow missed the torn black panties on the floor of the shower. They were bunched up in a corner, partially hidden under a washrag.

Oh, Delaney... this hadn't been one of her better ideas. But it wasn't like Sam hadn't wanted to do the same thing himself. Bela was a bitch, but she was also very beautiful, and he was just a man after all. With a bewildered shake of his head, Sam went back into the bedroom to awaken Bela.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked when she entered the living room.

Delaney seemed angrier than usual, like she was taking this personally. "We figured out what the link is between the mariner's victims."

Bela looked from Delaney to Sam and back again. "And?"

"They've all caused the death of their own family members."

As Sam rattled off the examples, from intentional homicide to accidents, Bela sank into a chair with a stunned look on her face. So that was it. She heard Sam say, "The man who hung our mariner was his own brother. He's taking revenge on people who have spilled the blood of their kin."

Bela offered no explanation, just sat there in shocked silence. Delaney stood up and leaned down to Bela's eye level. "What'd you do, Bela? Did you off a little sister? Kill Daddy for the inheritance money?"

She suddenly snapped, "It's none of your business! I don't expect you to understand. No one did."

"We can't help you until we know, Bela," Sam said. He folded his arms and stood firm, waiting for an answer.

"I didn't kill anyone for money," she offered as a partial explanation. "No one would protect me. I did what I had to, and everything I have now I got on my own."

The frustration in Bela's voice seemed to say that she was telling the truth, or at least thought she was. "What do you mean, no one would protect you?"

"I don't know why the mariner is after me; I didn't even kill them! Not really."

The two siblings looked at each other. "Sam, can I talk to Bela alone for a minute?"

He simply nodded, and left the room. Perhaps his sister had made some sort of connection with Bela during... or at least she thought she had.

Once Sam was out of the room, Delaney relaxed her stance a bit and tried again. "Did someone hurt you, Bela?"

A pause, and she nodded.

"And you hurt them right back?"

"I... I got a demon to do it for me. A crossroads demon."

Delaney looked startled for a moment. "A crossroads demon."

"Yes. It appeared to me as another kid, and told me she could make them stop. All I had to do was come to the crossroads near the school and make a deal with her. I was only 14. I wanted it to stop. And my mother, she never did a thing. She wouldn't believe me! So I asked the demon to... to take care of her too."

"So it was your parents."

Bela nodded. "He came into my room almost every night. I couldn't stand it anymore." She almost began to cry.

Delaney pulled up a chair and took a seat in front of her. "I understand."

"What do you know about it?"

"A few months ago, Sam was killed."

Bela looked up, a grave, serious look in her eyes.

"I made a deal with a crossroads demon to bring him back."

She shrugged it off. "So? You've got another ten years. My deal is almost up. I'll turn 24 and then a month later, my contract will come due. The only reason I'm trying to keep the mariner from killing me is because maybe I can find a way out of this deal. I'll keep trying, up until the last day."

Delaney was shaking her head. "I'm in the same boat you are." She took a deep breath, facing her own impending death yet again. "The demon only gave me one year."

Sitting back, Bela allowed that to sink in, swallowing down a lump in her throat. "I guess you trump me. At least you did it for noble reasons. Does it make you feel superior?"

"No." Delaney stood, pacing the room. "We're not so different, Bela. We're both trying to find a way out of a death contract. Both of us, in our own self-imposed limbo. Or maybe this is Purgatory."

"Then help me. Save me from the mariner."

She paced a little more, fingers pushed into the pockets of her tight jeans. "Okay. We'll see what we can figure out."

Hours later, Delaney packed her bag, wondering if Bela really meant it when she'd said she would bring Delaney's clothes back upon changing into her own clothes. She gave her brother a smile. "Did I tell you how ingenious that plan was? Calling up the ghost of the mariner's brother and letting him have his revenge on the person he really has his beef with? Saved Bela's life."

Sam smiled back. "Yeah, you told me."

"You're a genius!"

"Yeah, and tomorrow you'll be calling me a big dummy again."

She patted him hard on the back. "It's my right as a big sister."

Someone knocked at the door.

"I bet that's Bela." Sam answered the door. Bela entered, wearing her own high-end clothes again, and carrying a paper bag.

"I brought your clothes back." She placed the bag on the table. "And something else." Bela nonchalantly tossed two piles of money next to the bag. "It's $5,000 for each of you."

Delaney looked insulted, furrowing her brow. "You're paying us off?"

"You saved my life. I don't like being in anyone's debt." She glanced at Sam. "May I be alone with Delaney?"

With a sigh, Sam gave a shrug. "I'm getting used to leaving the room, so why not?"

Bela softened a bit once he was gone, letting down some of the walls she put up for appearances. "I just wanted to say goodbye, and to give you something."

"What? You already paid me."

Reaching into the bag, Bela took out a few packages of fancy, lacy, silky lingerie. Panties, bras, a garter belt, and stockings. "These are for you."

"Why are you giving these things to me?" Although there was an annoyed edge to her voice, Delaney still took the packages, leafing through them, looking at the feminine underthings.

"Because you're a beautiful woman, and sometimes you need to feel like one. Don't ever let your job make you feel like you have to give up your femininity."

"Humph. Sure." Delaney acted like she didn't care, although she secretly couldn't wait to try some of the things on and see how they looked. "So, you going back to New York? Or do you feel like sticking around for a while? We could go get dinner, or something."

"I'm going back to New York."

"Oh."

"Delaney... we're not the same, no matter what sort of deals we've made. You were right. You're a hero, and I'm only in it for myself. You're a two-bit thief, and I'm a million dollar one."

Delaney scoffed and shook her head.

"We're from different worlds. It's better this way."

"You don't want to try to redeem yourself before your deal comes due?" Delaney asked.

After a moment of thought, Bela shook her head.

"Fine."

An awkward moment of silence passed between them. Before Bela turned to leave, she bent to kiss Delaney on the cheek. "I hope you find a way out of your deal."

"Yeah. You too."

Sam heard the front door close. "She's gone?"

"Yup. Back to New York."

"We better get gone too." He sat at the table to shut down his laptop. "You know, sometimes I worry about you. I mean, most people have a little black book. Yours must be a big fat one."

She lowered her head. "Oh, you noticed that."

"You left Bela's panties on the shower floor, Del. You don't have any underwear like that."

Delaney held up a few of the packages. "Now I do."

A little annoyed, Sam shook his head. "Did you ever think that maybe..."

The realization of what he was saying washed over Delaney's stunned face. "Sammy, she _shot_ you. How could I possibly know that you were attracted to her?"

"_Grazed_ me. She just grazed me."

Smacking her forehead, Delaney said, "Oh, well..."

He sighed, pouting, trying to focus his attention on the computer.

Delaney came up behind her brother and hugged him around the neck, kissing his cheek until he got annoyed with it. "She isn't good for either of us, bro. Best just to forget her." She sighed. "Unless you want to send her an e-mail. You know, now that I think about it, I saw some real sparks between the two of you."

"Huh? You think I should e-mail Bela?"

Delaney grinned. "No, I was talking about Gertie."

As she laughed, Sam took her by the arm and acted like he was going to toss her over his shoulder and across the room. Delaney cracked a wide smile.

As it had many times since she had made the crossroads deal, time stopped for him, and Sam tried to freeze that moment in his mind, picturing her smiling and laughing. He hoped it would always be like this, as the minutes on his sister's last year ticked away.

**Comparison Contrast** (c) 2010 Demented Stuff  
**Supernatural** is (c) 2005+ Kripke Enterprises, Wonderland, & Warner Brothers/The CW Television.


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